Welcome

Welcome to the POZ/AIDSmeds Community Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people with HIV/AIDS, their friends/family/caregivers, and
others concerned about HIV/AIDS. Click on the links below to browse our various forums; scroll down for a glance at the most recent posts; or join in the
conversation yourself by registering on the left side of this page.

Privacy Warning: Please realize that these forums are open to all, and are fully searchable via Google and other search engines. If you are HIV positive
and disclose this in our forums, then it is almost the same thing as telling the whole world (or at least the World Wide Web). If this concerns you, then do not use a
username or avatar that are self-identifying in any way. We do not allow the deletion of anything you post in these forums, so think before you post.

The information shared in these forums, by moderators and members, is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between an individual and his/her own
physician.

All members of these forums are, by default, not considered to be licensed medical providers. If otherwise, users must clearly define themselves as such.

Forums members must behave at all times with respect and honesty. Posting guidelines, including time-out and banning policies, have been established by the moderators
of these forums. Click here for “Am I Infected?” posting guidelines. Click here for posting guidelines pertaining to all other POZ/AIDSmeds community forums.

We ask all forums members to provide references for health/medical/scientific information they provide, when it is not a personal experience being discussed. Please
provide hyperlinks with full URLs or full citations of published works not available via the Internet. Additionally, all forums members must post information which are
true and correct to their knowledge.

Author
Topic: Went off in a huff... (Read 2567 times)

...then got sick so not been around for quite some time. Well, I have but just reading as a guest.

Have had a horrible 6 weeks of fever, nausea and fatigue. On a positive note I've lost 25lbs in the process. Anyway, seems it's time for meds. I have a doc's appointment to discuss options on Wednesday and so thought I'd ask you for some tips. I'm resistant to NNRTI's so with the research I've done myself I'm thinking Reyataz/Truvada/Norvir. Are there other combi's I should be thinking about?

Prezista (+ Norvir booster) or Isentress, both with Truvada, are other straightforward options. If your viral load is 100,000 or over I personally just now would go with Reyataz or Prezista to start with.

Prezista (+ Norvir booster) or Isentress, both with Truvada, are other straightforward options. If your viral load is 100,000 or over I personally just now would go with Reyataz or Prezista to start with.

- matt

Thanks Matt, I will go armed with this too and see what the doc says. I did ask about Isentress but she said that it's not currently used as first line in the UK.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Your doctor is wrong about raltegravir in treatment naive adults. It was approved for treatment naive use in September 2009.

[

Thanks Ann.

I did wonder if she's not quite up to scratch on the meds, when I mentioned it she hadn't heard of Isentress and had to look it up in her book.

Can't fault her on anything else though, I've had every test under the sun to make sure I dont have any underlying problems due to the sickness. She's a locum and I get my regular doc back in September, if I come away unhappy with what she prescribes I may hold out a month and see what my doc says.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Good point, I should pay more attention. It's still a difficult ask tho if you have PI options because in the UK Isentress counts as a "high cost" drug. Probably easier in a large clinic. Good clinical arguments, eg high baseline risk of heart disease may favour Isentress as a choice, but not being once-a-day will count against. Docs seem very keen to start you off on a 1 x day combo.

Good point, I should pay more attention. It's still a difficult ask tho if you have PI options because in the UK Isentress counts as a "high cost" drug. Probably easier in a large clinic. Good clinical arguments, eg high baseline risk of heart disease may favour Isentress as a choice, but not being once-a-day will count against. Docs seem very keen to start you off on a 1 x day combo.

- matt

And to be honest I'll probably be better off on a 1 x day combo, I'm not great at remembering to take meds so it's going to be a challenge in itself. Just nice to have the knowledge to hand that you and Ann have given me now.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

I started meds in September last year with Atripla but felt really out of it and came out in a pretty bad rash after a couple of weeks.

My consultant offered Truvada + Reyataz (atazanavir) or Truvada + Isentress (raltegravir) as alternatives. There was no pressure about costs and I went for Truvada and Raltegravir. I wasn't that concerned about taking pills twice a day, but was concerned about stomach problems with Norvir. I haven't looked back, my counts are good. I lost the zombie feeling I had with Atripla and haven't found taking pills twice daily a problem. I guess it depends on your routine.

I started meds in September last year with Atripla but felt really out of it and came out in a pretty bad rash after a couple of weeks.

My consultant offered Truvada + Reyataz (atazanavir) or Truvada + Isentress (raltegravir) as alternatives. There was no pressure about costs and I went for Truvada and Raltegravir. I wasn't that concerned about taking pills twice a day, but was concerned about stomach problems with Norvir. I haven't looked back, my counts are good. I lost the zombie feeling I had with Atripla and haven't found taking pills twice daily a problem. I guess it depends on your routine.

Best of luck

Thanks Manc.

Happy to hear that it's all worked out for you, I'm hoping for the same..fingers crossed!

Thanks Inchlingblue. Taking into account what's been said here and also reading the pro's and cons I think i'll probably try for the reyataz/truvada/norvir and hope I don't become jaundiced. I can probably tolerate that more than a rash though.

"I have tried hard--but life is difficult, and I am a very useless person. I can hardly be said to have an independent existence. I was just a screw or a cog in the great machine I called life, and when I dropped out of it I found I was of no use anywhere else."

I did wonder if she's not quite up to scratch on the meds, when I mentioned it she hadn't heard of Isentress and had to look it up in her book.

Can't fault her on anything else though, I've had every test under the sun to make sure I dont have any underlying problems due to the sickness. She's a locum and I get my regular doc back in September, if I come away unhappy with what she prescribes I may hold out a month and see what my doc says.

Leese

Hi Leese, I recommend the gym over the toilet for weight loss.. But hopefully you will be able to enjoy your new physique by the pool.

Reyataz/Norvir/Truvada are a good combo.....

Reyataz has a tendency to cause some jaundice like conditions by elevating bilirubin... so you have to watch your liver numbers and if you are sensitive to your appearance this is something to consider. I was on Reyataz/Norvir for a while and had slightly yellow eyes from time to time and nobody ever said anything or asked.

I figured if they had I'd yank their damn chain hard and tell them I had a fatal liver condition..... and when they said "really" I'd tell them no, of course not.... it was just a side effect of a med for AIDS! and HIV! And on the bright side I was doing really well, undetectable, very healthy, and quite rather horny... how were they doing? While saying this the objective is to move very close to the nosy person to make them extraordinarily uncomfortable.... put your hand on their shoulder and lean into them. It's a deliberate invasion of their personal space and if done right should nearly guarantee that they never ask about your life again.

Logged

Don't obsess over the wrong things. Life isn't about your numbers, it isn't about this forum, it isn't about someone's opinion. It's about getting out there and enjoying it. I am a person with HIV - not the other way around.